News

Covid-19: Vulnerable teens may "never return to education"

As many as 123,000 vulnerable teenagers risk “falling through gaps” in the school and social care system, with many in danger of “never returning to full-time education”.


The Children’s Commissioner for England has warned that one in 25 vulnerable students, aged 13 to 17, could fall off the radar as England emerges from lockdown.

She is particularly concerned about those students due to finish year 11 this summer.

An analysis published on Tuesday (July 7) details a catalogue of risk factors including persistent absence from school, exclusions, alternative provision, dropping out of the school system in year 11, or going missing from care.

The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, says that these one in 25 teenagers were already at-risk before lockdown and fears that unless they are “re-engaged in society” they could face “educational failure and unemployment, or crime or exploitation”.

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